We will be heard!
GULF COAST LEGISLATORS OPPOSE CATCH SHARE PLAN
Rep. Southerland (FL) Spearheads Efforts To Protect Open Access
"We encourage House members to get together, collectively, to fix the problems with the Magnuson Stevens Act to help keep our folks fishing on healthy fish stocks, and stop this ridiculous effort to cap fishing participation by trading away our coastal resource to a privileged few," Donofrio said, adding that he hopes to work with these same legislators in supporting HR3061, the Flexibility and Access in Rebuilding American Fisheries Act of 2011.
Calling it a "great letter" Capt. Bob Zales, II, president of the National Association of Charterboat Operators (NACO) and a member of the RFA board of directors said that new groups sprouting up in the region in recent months claiming to represent fishermen are simply puppets of larger non-government organizations like Environmental Defense Fund, which has become much more apparent to legislators in the Gulf region.
"It's clear that the vast majority of the fishermen, recreational and commercial alike, have gotten this message across to House members that we don't want to see any more catch share funding," Zales said, adding "We are very appreciative of Representative Southerland's stand for fishermen in the Gulf of Mexico."
2012 is an election year. "We will be heard!"...Lubchenco must go. NOAA will represent the fishermen/women; not the radical special interest groups.
Bob Harbison Native Florida life long recreational fisherman
